Television: Aspiring artists hope to boost their musical careers with a spot on the new CTV series, The Launch

Regina Mundi grad Chad Price is one of five artists chosen through auditions to perform on the third episode of CTV’s new reality show, The Launch. The episode airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. (Special to Postmedia News)

It doesn’t happen often but every now and then you come across an artist for whom you just want to cheer.

London’s Chad Price is one of those artists.

You want to cheer because instead of taking the safe road after studying communications at Brock University, he chose to follow his passion and pursue music.

You want to cheer because the lyrics he writes are so compellingly and courageously honest.

Wednesday, Londoners will get their chance to cheer for the singer-songwriter who will be among the five artists who auditioned to perform on the third episode of CTV’s new reality show, The Launch, which airs at 9 p.m. and is designed to catapult careers.

Two other artists with London connections, the singer Faiza, who is now based in Toronto, and 15-year-old Sariyah Hines, who moved here two years ago from Brampton, will perform on the Jan. 31 episode of The Launch.

Each episode features a song the contestants have 48 hours to record with the winning version immediately released as a major label single to radio stations and ready to buy and stream everywhere, including iHeartRadio, Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play.

As well, even for those contestants who don’t win or aren’t featured on the show, the Director’s Cut featuring extended auditions of all five artists will be available on CTV.ca and CTV GO as well as CraveTV.

The song for this week’s episode — featuring Price, the Calgary rock group The Static Shift, the North Vancouver duo Sons of Daughters, P.E.I.’s Dylan Menzie and Calgary singer Amy Bishop — is titled Wide Awake.

Whether Price wins or even appears on the broadcast won’t be known until Wednesday. He said the experience last September was “awesome.”

Price, 31, is a graduate of Regina Mundi Catholic secondary school where he excelled academically and in sports, including basketball, volleyball and football.

An accomplished guitarist, Price only started singing while at university, playing for friends in his dorm. He started writing songs and recorded his first album shortly after graduating without ever having performed professionally.

That album, In This Dream, released in 2012, produced a hit single, the bright, bouncy, whimsical tune, Another Day.

Among the musicians who’ve inspired Price are U.S. singer-songwriter John Mayer, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Norah Jones and Dallas Green.

“All of them opened my eyes in terms of songwriting,” said Price.

“I owe a lot of my music career to Brock because that’s where I had my transformation and found music could be a career. The guitar is where it all started. I was always a strong writer. And I always had an ear for music. I’ve played guitar since I was nine or 10. By the time I got to university, I’d already had success at a number of things in my life, especially athletics, but it was music that sparked my passion.”

When he started writing at university, he also started missing classes to focus on the music.

“I think I’ve always had a creative spirit, but it never flourished until then,” said Price.”

“But I just knew it (music) was something I needed to pursue. I even missed my graduation because I was in a Toronto studio recording.”

Not even his parents knew he could sing.

“I didn’t even know I could sing,” said Price. “I think I surprised everyone. But ever since, I’ve received nothing but support from everyone.”

Faiza is an independent R&B singer who was in the second grade when she wrote her first song and released a self-titled EP in 2014.

Hines has been singing since she was a child and still only a teen she has performed at Toronto’s Opera House, Danforth Music Hall, Hugh’s Room, the Hard Rock Café, the Rose Theatre, and the CNE. She was the 2015 Youth Grand Champion of CNE’s Rising Star competition.

Price said his favourite genres include folk and soul “the two worlds I enjoy the most.”

He released his second, self-titled album last year, which reflects his passion for those two worlds. He’s already writing songs for his next album and is excited about a couple of London shows on the horizon, Fanshawe College, next Thursday opening for Texas King and Rum Runners (London Music Hall) Feb. 12 with Justin Nozuka and Ben Heffernan.

“It was a very unique experience, a chance to do something like that where only 30 were chosen out of 10,000 applicants,” said Price, adding he was recruited for the show while performing in Toronto.